Dortmund back against Augsburg after dramatic UCL defeat to Real Madrid.

2024-10-20

As Augsburg seek to rebound from their recent slip against Freiburg, they brace for the challenge of hosting Borussia Dortmund at the WWK Arena, where they aim to harness their home-ground prowess against the formidable visitors.

FC Augsburg

Augsburg couldn't maintain their momentum after their victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, falling to a 3-1 defeat at Europa Park Stadion last Saturday. "In the first 30 minutes, it was fairly even, and suddenly we conceded the first goal almost out of nowhere and conceded three goals within eleven minutes," Jess Thorup mentioned in a post-match interview.

The team has now suffered three losses in their last five matches [WLLWL], dropping them to 15th place with only seven points [2W, 1D, 4L]. Thorup’s squad will return to familiar ground this Saturday when they face Dortmund, a welcome prospect for fans as the team has only secured points at home thus far.

Interestingly, nine of Augsburg's ten goals this campaign have been scored at home, accounting for 90% of their total, a higher percentage than any other Bundesliga team. "It's a chance to prove that we can also score points against big opponents," Thorup stated ahead of the fixture, hopeful for a landmark victory. A 3-5-2 formation with Samuel Essende and Phillip Tietz leading the attack is anticipated against Dortmund.

Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund endured a dramatic setback in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, letting a two-goal lead slip to suffer a 5-2 defeat against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. A disheartened Nuri Şahin reflected post-match, saying, "It's hard to explain what happened." He added, "It hurts because we go out with the feeling that it was possible to go out with a better result."

Despite this, Dortmund rebounded from their loss to Union Berlin by securing a 2-1 victory over St. Pauli in the Bundesliga last Friday. This win marked their third triumph in the last five Bundesliga matches, boosting them to 7th place with 13 points. Şahin's squad aims to continue their winning ways as they travel to face Augsburg on Saturday.

The BVB are unbeaten in their last seven Bundesliga encounters against Augsburg, recording five wins and two draws. However, their recent trips to Augsburg have been challenging, managing only two victories from the last six visits. Additionally, Dortmund has struggled on the road this season, collecting just one point away from home and failing to win any of their last five away matches.

A 4-2-3-1 formation with Serhou Guirassy leading the attack is anticipated for Saturday's clash.